GTK++ proposal

From: karlmail usa net

To: gtk-list redhat com

Subject: GTK++ proposal

Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 04:38:55

I would like to commend all the authors of the GIMP
and GTK+ for creating an excellent widget set for
the X Window System. Great work guys!
The free software community benefits greatly from
your efforts. :-)
Below are some thoughts that you may want to consider.
After the original GTK toolkit evolved to the GTK+
toolkit, which added object oriented principles to
the C language, I feel that now is the right time to
go one step further - GTK++ - a C++ version of GTK+.
Before I say more, I realise that people are working
at creating bindings for C++, and other bindings exist
for many other languages as well, however, I believe
that many of the bindings created break the original
aims of GTK+ - to be a fast, small and efficient
toolkit for programming the X Window System.
Many bindings created thus far are either extremely
criptic, add unrequired code bulk, or are lacking in
features found in GTK+.
A C++ version would greatly simplify the learning curve
of the toolkit, especially in creating new widgets for
the library. Theme support for example could be added
simply by deriving new classes for each widget
containing a modified virtual draw function.
I realise that it would put back GTK+ development a
while, but the ease at which it would be to program
using an object-oriented toolkit in C++ rather than
in C would in my opinion be worth the hard work.
I am in no way trying to tarnish the image of GTK+.
I am simply trying to extend it by thinking towards
the future.
I am extremely eager for the GTK+ authors to agree
to this proposal. Perhaps we could have a GTK+ and
GTK++ toolkit evolving with similar features
simultaneously, so that programmers have a real
choice, and so development of more quality free
software can continue without language barriers,
while keeping the GIMP programmers cooking at
what they do so well.
Your thoughts, criticisms and concerns would be
greatly appreciated. I would also be very willing
to contribute to this work, but I can't do it alone!
I feel that many other programmers would be happy to
help. Perhaps the Gtk-- and VDK authors could
chip in too!
Karol - karlmail@usa.net
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